Office



(No Model.)

3 F. H. RICHARDS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT. No. 403,373. Patented May 14, 1889..

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UNITED STATES PATENT 3 OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE OFFICE SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,373, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed April 18, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement on the mechanical movement which is described and claimed in the application of D. W. Dodson, Serial No. 262,870, (to which I have permission to refer;) and the present invention consists in certain improvements in the latch mechanism described therein, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan View of so much of a mechanical movement of the class specified as embodies my present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the latch set ready for use. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are sectional side elevations showing the catches and latch in four successive stages of their operation. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the latch-case in line a a, Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the latch-lever. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the escapement.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The frame-work A, of any preferred construction adapted to carry the mechanism, has a stud or shaft, D, on which turns a revoluble frame or turret, H, that carries the shaft 6, having thereon the starting-arm 26. Said frame also has formed therein a suitable bearing for a reciprocating latch, 50, which is thrown forward (toward the lefthand, as shown in the drawings,) by aspring, 52, surrounding said latch. The forward movement of the latch is conveniently limited by a collar, 53, formed on the latch. The object and mode of operation of these several parts are fully described in the aforesaid application of D. W. Dodson and in my application, Serial No. 232,937, filed March 26, 1887. For preventing, or rather for reducing, the sound resulting from the impact of collar 53 against frame A, I provide the short spring 51, surrounding the latch forward of said collar. This spring, in practice, is graduated in strength to be just Serial No. 271,074. (No model.)

closed up, coil to coil, by the force of the latch, so that the forward movement accurately to position is not impaired.

According to my present invention, the latch 50 (Whatever its cross-sectional form may be) is provided with two catches set one in advance of the other, and having between them the cylindrical portion 65, and the escapement (whatever its form) is similarly furnished with two catches arranged to be successively engaged with those of the latch. The catches on one of said parts are so constructed and arranged that one of them will sooner than the other engage its corresponding latch-catch, and so that when such result happens the one so caught may be disengaged and the latch remain hooked back by the other pair of catches until these are in due succession also disengaged. These features will be understood by the following detailed description of the mechanism.

The latch 50 has two fixed catches, 10 12, of substantially the usual ratchet-tooth form. These catches are set one in advance of the other, as shown, the face of catch 12 being usually beveled or slightly rounded.

The escapement N is a substantially rigid bar or plate, of suitable proportions, pivotally supported at 23 in a notch, 24, formed within the bore 25, which contains the latch and some other details. Said part N has two escapement-catches, 3O 32, engaging with latchcatches 10 and 12, respectively, and-has (or may have) a projecting arm, 29, whereby it is operated. The catch 30 I designate as the holding-catch and 32 as the detainingcatch, because the latter only detains the latch until the finger-key is released, after which time catch 30 holds the latch until again operated. The key-lever L is pivoted at 13 between posts 14 of frame A, and is provided with the finger-key 15, the downward stroke of the key being limited by a stop, 17, and the key uplifted by a spring (not shown) or by the downward pressure of arm 29. This arrangement of key and key-lever, however, is quite immaterial to my invention, and may be changed as circumstances indicate.

The latch 50 is preferably made round (revoluble,) and fits freelyin its bearing 71, so that the rear (right-hand) end of said latch may have some vertical motion toward and from the escapement N. This latch movement is eifected by spring 52, acting between the latch and a bent lever, T, whose fulcrum is in the frame at 23, and which in practice takes its bearing (in the concave seat or bearing 66) on the upper side of the latch at 61 and between the two catches 10 and 12, about as shown. The spring 52 acts (usually and preferably) through a thimble or washer, 59, against the upper part, 62, of the lever T, which is slotted at 63 for the passage of the latch. The leveris proportioned and arranged to exert the proper degree of force downward on the latch. That part of the latch 50 which works in slot (53 is reduced at l5, as shown, to a less diameter than catch 10, and takes its bearing between the sides of said slot. This construction is for restraining the latch from lateral movement, due to the pressure of arm 26 on the outer (left-hand) end thereof. The thimble 5!) is formed conical, one end fitting freely in the bore and the other end 011 the latch 50. This feature maintains the proper bearing of the thimble against the upper part of lever T without impeding the vertical movement of the latch itself. The lower side of said lever has a tongue, 10, which takes its bearing in the notch 41, formed in the upper side of escapement N, above the fulcrum 23. The pressure of spring 52 normally holds the lever back in theposition shown, so that the said tongue locks the escapement in place. To remove the escapement, it is necessary to push the lever toward the left-hand until said tongue is withdrawn from the notch 41,when the escapement may be readily lifted and taken out. It will be observed that the axis or pivot 23, Figs. 3 to 6, of the escapement N is slightly below a straight line extending from the edge of catch 30 to that of catch 32, so that spring 52 acts through lever T to throw down the escapement, as in Figs. and 1-.

My improved latch mechanism works after the manner of an escapement, and when constructed as thus above described its particular mode of operation is as follows: The normal position of the several details, when standing idle ready to be used, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this position the latch is held back by the engagement of its catch 10 with the escapement-catch 30. It will be observed that at this time catch 32 stands just rearward and directly on. the catch 12, as shown in Fig. 2. Said parts being thus situated, and the turret H being revolving, but shaft 6 not revolving, (except orbitally,) the operator presses down key 15, thereby swinging lever L on its fulcrum and lifting the escapement-arm 29. This forces up the catch 12 and the latch itself until catch 10 is disengaged and the latch thrown forward, as in Fig. 3. (At this moment the key and escapement stand as in Fig. 5.) If, now, the

key be released, catch 32 drops, as in Fig. 3, ready to re-engage the latch on the return of the same, shown in Fig. 4:. This is perhaps the more usual mode of operation; but let us suppose the operator still holds thekey in its lower position, as in Figs. 5 and 6, and that while thus held the starting-arm 26 forces back the latch, described in the aforesaid prior applications. In such case the catch 12 is driven back and into engagement with the escapement-catch 32, which thereby holds back latch 50, as in Fig. 0, with the catch 40 too high up to engage catch 30. On the rising of the key the spring 52, acting through lever T, presses down the latch against the downwardly-movin g escapementcatch 32 until catch 10 is engaged. After this, 011 the complete release of the key, the forward pressure of the latch-catch 12 on the beveled face of catch 32 forces this latter catch still farther down until the parts again stand, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 45, ready for another operation.

It will be understood that said apparatus is capable of modification in various ways and degrees, after the manner of machines in general, within the scope and limits of m y invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination of the spring-actuated latch provided with two catches set onein advance of the other, the escapement having two corresponding catches, and a lever pressing said latch against said escapement, said escapement being pivoted at one end thereof and said lever taking its bearing 011 the escapement between said pivot and said latch, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a mechanism of the class specified, of a spring-actuated latch and lever, substantially as described, and the escapement having the notch 41, said lever having the tongue 40, engaging said escapement in said notch, substantially as described.

3. The combinatiomwith thelatch, the lever T, and the spring on said latch, of the conical thimble 50, all substantially as described.

at. The combination, with a frame having the bore 25, and the fulcrum-notch 24 in said bore, of the latch 50, escapement N, lever T, spring 52, and thimble substantially as described.

5. Thecombination of latch 50, having the reduced portion 45, and the lever T, having the vertical slot 63, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, in a mechanism of the class specified, with the spring-actuated latch arranged to be unhooked, substantially as described, and having collar 53, of the spring 51, forward of said collar, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Vitnesses:

WILBUR M. STONE, GEO. W. DRAKE. 

